The dust and debris generated by sanding operations using a disc sander has always been a health and safety problem. In the past, separate vacuum systems have been deployed in the vicinity of the disc sander to capture and remove the sanding dust and debris from the immediate region of the sanding disc. For the most part, these vacuum systems were effective but required a separate motor to drive the vacuum system. Further, these vacuum systems emitted a whining sound which was irritating to the operator.
To eliminate the need for a separate vacuum system the prior art taught the use of a vacuum pump disposed on the reverse side of the sanding disc and utilized the same motor used to rotate the sanding disc. In particular, Bogart in U.S. Pat. No. 2,814,171 teaches a sanding machine in which the sanding dust and debris are drawn through apertures or holes provided through a porous abrading member and a porous mounting disc by a vacuum pump located behind the mounting disc. The impeller of the vacuum pump is attached to the shaft of the mounting disc and is commonly driven therewith.
In an alternate arrangement taught by Demetrius in U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,781 an impeller is attached to the output shaft of the motor and sucks air from about the periphery of the sanding disc to capture and remove the dust and debris generated during a sanding operation.
The invention disclosed herein is a sanding disc machine having a self-contained vacuum system which is relatively quiet and is highly effective in capture and removal the dust and debris from the sanding operation.